Two Lok Sabha answers by the Union Education Ministry on Monday showed that the Centre released school education funds, which it had withheld from Kerala over its refusal to implement the PM-SHRI scheme, after the state relented in October.
The Kerala government, in mid-November, placed the implementation of PM-SHRI (Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India) — a central scheme to upgrade select government schools — on hold after a row between ruling allies CPI(M) and CPI.
The Centre released Rs 92.41 crore to Kerala as the first installment under the Samagra Shiksha school education scheme, shows one of the government responses in Parliament.
To question from Congress MP M K Raghavan in Lok Sabha on whether the Centre allocated funds to Kerala under PM-SHRI, and whether states have the right to withdraw from the MoU signed with the Centre, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded: “The State of Kerala has signed the MoU on 23rd October 2025, which is to be followed by transparent challenge mode for the selection of PM SHRI schools. Subsequently, State of Kerala has been requested to upload information of schools on PM SHRI portal.”
The “challenge mode” mentioned by Pradhan refers to the post-MoU process in which schools compete for funding support to be developed as model institutes.
In response to a separate question from Congress MP Shafi Parambil on whether the Centre has disbursed Kerala’s share under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for the current financial year and the last one, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said that for 2025-26, Rs 452.04 crore as central share has been approved for Kerala.
Of this, Rs. 92.41 crore was released as the first installment on November 4, he said.
